The Next Great Tech Rivalry

SlashGear: The consumer electronics industry has had its share of great rivalries. Apple vs. Microsoft; Microsoft vs. Google; Google vs. Yahoo; and though these companies surely remain in competition, the intense rivalries that drive product development and benefit the consumer have mostly faded. Apple and Microsoft may jockey for position in measurements of market capitalization, but they’re both successful with dramatically different product categories now. Microsoft may want a piece of Google’s search pie, but Google holds a commanding lead that seems unlikely to falter. And do I have to even explain how Yahoo is no longer competitive with Google?

Sure, there’s plenty of overlap. Apple and Microsoft both make smartphones. Google will have its own OS on netbooks by the end of this year. Many of Yahoo’s best services, like Flickr and Yahoo Groups, compete directly with Google products. But these rivalries have either faded or the fire is dying down to embers.